Only T20 Preview: A high scoring contest is expected by Asher Wilson

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Scorecard:	Australia v West Indies
Event:	West Indies in Australia 2012/13

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DateLine: 12th February 2013

 

Australia v West Indies
Only T20 2013
Match Preview

 

After being thrashed 5-0 in the recently concluded ODI series, the West Indies now have only one chance to register a win and save some pride, on this win-less tour so far when they will face Australia tomorrow in the only T20 of the tour. The match will be hosted at Brisbane.

 

Australian cricket teams of the previous decades have long been known to humiliate their opponents at home, as the recent West Indies losses showed. However, the recent whitewash is more important for the Kangaroos, as they will gain momentum for the difficult tour of India, after a mixed series against Sri Lanka prior to this one.

 

In the one-off T20, the Australian team, led by George Bailey is likely to comprise mostly of the team that played the last ODI. We may see one or two changes in playing XI tomorrow, considering the format switch. Their T20 squad for this match is another motley crew of performers, the likes of Warner and Watson not in attendance. The batting line-up seems particularly brittle with only three of them (Bailey, Finch and Marsh) being recognized as top-order batsmen. The pace bowling looks strong but they lack variation, Marsh and Voges the only ones with the spin option. They may find it difficult against the format’s champions, comprised mainly of power-hitters who play through the line.

 

At any costs the Aussies will be looking to complete the summer season on a high, and thus we might witness some stunning performances from the Australian players tomorrow.

 

On the other hand, it cannot be forgotten completely that the Windies are the current T20 champions, and their bunch of explosive players can always turn the game around, especially in the shortest format.

 

West Indies are expected to make few changes to the XI that featured in the ODIs although their T20 squad is not different from the ODI one.

 

Johnson Charles has found some form, recording his maiden ODI century in the final fixture and is likely to open the batting. Whether Gayle will play or not is still up for debate, an injury in the third ODI resulting in him missing the final two fixtures but if he plays, West Indies desperately need the services of their senior man. He needs to deliver, as the team looks for a solitary win of the tour. Pollard also recorded a century in the ODI series and is in good form. The Bravo brothers and Powell have also been amongst the runs. The West Indian bowling attack has let them down so far and this will be their greatest concern, but they will be hoping that Sunny Narine will come into his own once again in his favored format.

 

A high scoring contest is expected tomorrow in Brisbane, as both the sides are loaded with numerous big hitters, known to send the ball way farther than the boundary.

 

The pitch is expected to be a typical Gabba one, with some assistance for the bowlers as well.

 

Teams:

 

Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Shaun Marsh, 3 Adam Voges / Joe Burns, 4 George Bailey (capt), 5 Ben Rohrer, 6 Brad Haddin (wk), 7 James Faulkner, 8 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9 Ben Cutting, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Ben Laughlin / Josh Hazlewood.

 

West Indies (possible) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Kieron Pollard, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Narsingh Deonarine, 7 Devon Thomas (wk), 8 Andre Russell, 9 Darren Sammy (capt), 10 Sunil Narine, 11 Kemar Roach / Tino Best.

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
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